The present invention relates to a recordable/reproducible information storage medium such as memory card or disc (phase changed optical disc, magneto-optical disc, or magnetic disc).
In particular, the present invention relates to an improvement of a removable and portable information storage medium suitable for recording and/or reproducing digital image information in combination with digital audio information.
In addition, the present invention relates to a method for setting a representative image of information recorded in the information storage medium.
Further, the present invention relates to a method for reproducing information recorded in the information storage medium by utilizing the representative image.
As s system capable of recording/reproducing audio information in/from a portable information storage medium, there exists an MD (mini disc using magneto-optical recording).
In addition, as a system capable of recording/reproducing video information in/from a portable information storage medium, there exists a DVD (digital versatile disc) video.
In the MD, audio information is managed in unit of music, and edit processing such as “combining music” or “dividing music” is enabled. For audio information after editing, the number item of music being reproduced is displayed on a display. In the case where an attempt is made by a user to search desired music, the MD's system allows a direct access by specifying the number item of the desired music. In addition, in such MD, the system is provided such that text information such as music title can be inputted in unit of music, and the user can select a desired music number that he or she wants to reproduce from a list of text information in units of music numbers.
On the other hand, in the case of DVD video, the system is provided such that video information (desired title preference) can be reproduced or direct access to a desired video scene (specific chapter in title) can be done. That is, in such DVD video, a representative image indicative of the contents of video can be provided for each set of video information items (for example, segments in units of chapters).
In a DVD menu screen, representative images of groups of videos (or of chapters) can be arranged in line. The user may select and specify a desired representative image by selecting it with remote controller cursor operation or the like. By doing this, the group of videos (or the chapter) corresponding to the selected and specified representative image is directly reproduced.
According to the above prior art system (MD or DVD video), the following shortcomings exist:
(1) In the MD, only “the number item of music” or “text information in units of music numbers” can be utilized for search.
The search information of MD is limited to “the number item of music” and “text information in units of music numbers”. Therefore, in the case of MD, in order to search a desired music number, the user needs to read a text list containing music information, which is time consumable.
In addition, many users often fail to select a music number that they want to reproduce, even by referring to the music title list. This is because the music title (often incorrectly memorized by the user) does not always coincide with the actual contents (melody or the like) of music.
(2) In the MD, the user needs to input search text information, which is cumbersome in environment setting for search.
For example, in the case where the user attempts to copy a music recorded in a CD to an MD, the user needs to input the title of each music number to the MD by using a jog dial. The search environment setting through such input (music tile input in units of music numbers) is very cumbersome, which imposes a heavy burden on the user.
(3) In the DVD video, the management information on the menu screen (including representative image(s)) is complicated.
The DVD video contains complicated management information unique to the respective menu. If an attempt is made to change such menu information, it is required to change a complicated data structure, and it is required to impose a heavy load on processing for the data change.
(4) In the DVD video, no method has been established for setting a representative image corresponding to the “combined/divided music”.
The DVD video conform to “reproduction specific standards”, and thus, its data structure cannot adapt edit processing such as “combining and/or dividing”.